-- I'm getting rather tired of Dave Barry and everyone else who rails against 1.6-gallon toilets because they think they don't work. In fact, it was my old, water-sucking toilet that had to be flushed twice. My two-year-old 1.6 gallon toilet works perfectly 99 percent of the time.

-- Yo, Darrell: Just a comment from one of your left-leaning pinko readers who happens to use a 1.6 gallon per flush toilet - and loves it! . . . My sewer and water bill has dropped a bit, so I can increase my donation to the Sierra Club.

-- Regarding illegal toilets imported from Canada: This really proves the Canadian economy is in the toilet, eh?

-- I am a civil engineer and consider myself an environmentalist, which is why I am writing you. I recently conducted a little research on toilets. Please refer to these three sources:

1. "Contractor" magazine, May 1998: Describes surveys of people who have had the 1.6 gal toilets installed, stating that over 90 percent are satisfied with their performance. Stories of widespread dissatisfaction are said to be anecdotal.

2. "Custom Builder" magazine, July-August 1998: States that the 1.6 gal toilet saves an average of 40 gallons of water per day per household where they are installed.

3. "Consumer Reports," May 1998: Provides an assessment of 13 toilets, evaluating them on their effectiveness in removing waste from the bowl.

-- Also check out local plumber Terry Love's Web site for extensive low-flow toilet information: http://www.terrylove.com/crtoilet.htm